Pages

Friday, November 05, 2010

I Didn't Say It.........

Director Ron Howard, on keeping the "electric cars are gay" joke[?] in The Dilemma:

"So why was the joke in the movie? Our lead character of Ronny Valentine has a mouth that sometimes gets him into trouble and he definitely flirts with the line of what's okay to say. He tries to do what's right but sometimes falls short. Who can't relate to that?....The Dilemma is a story full of flawed characters whose lives are complicated by the things they say to and hide from each other. Ronny is far from perfect and he does and says some outrageous things along the way....I believe in sensitivity but not censorship. I feel that our film is taking additional heat as an emblem for many movies and TV shows that preceded it that have even more provocative characterizations and language. It is a slight moment in The Dilemma meant to demonstrate an aspect of our lead character's personality, and we never expected it to represent our intentions or the point of view of the movie or those of us who made it."

Nicely put, but. um, Ronnie, if this line gets a laugh, maybe the adults will see it as a character sayting the wrong thing, but a thriteen-year-old boy, or girl, may see it as a way to taunt and bully a kid at school, and that's what needs to be stopped.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios' response to Howard's decision to keep the joke in the film:

“At a time when so many in our country are speaking out against the bullying of gay youth, Universal was right to acknowledge the offensive nature of this 'joke' when it removed it from trailers. Unfortunately, by leaving it in the movie, they are now contributing to the problem. The conversations started as a result of the community’s response to this slur will help schools, media and parents understand the impact of the word ‘gay' being used as a pejorative. Hopefully in the future, Universal and Ron Howard will recognize the power of their words and use their films to bring people together rather than drive us apart."

Sticks and stones do break bones, but words used endlessly, over and over again, to deingrate or bully someone, can break a spirit, and perhaps end a life.

Betty White, on marriage equality:

"I don’t care who anybody sleeps with. If a couple has been together all that time - and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones - I think it’s fine if they want to get married. I don’t know how people can get so anti-something. Mind your own business, take care of your affairs, and don’t worry about other people so much."

Yeah, what Betty said.Mind your own beeswax.I so want to gay marry her.

Cher, on her daughter Chastity becoming her son Chaz:

“If I woke up tomorrow in a guy’s body, I would just kick and scream and cry and fucking rob a bank, because I cannot see myself as anything but who I am—a girl. I would not take it as well as Chaz has. I couldn’t imagine it.” While Cher remains a proud mother, she admits to Smith that she still gets confused: “She’s a very smart girl—boy! This is where I get into trouble. My pronouns are fucked. I still don’t remember to call her ‘him.’”

People are giving Cher a hard time about this, but she had a daughter for a lot longer than she's had this son, and it takes time, and work and conscious effort. Sheesh, I hear people on talk shows referring to Cahz as her or Cahstity, and if they can't get it quick enough, imagine how hard it must be for the owman who gave birth to the 'her' that became a 'him'?

Iowa Asshat, and Congressman, Steve King, warning us that if "traditional" marriage is not saved, children will be raised in warehouses, so to speak:

“I think that if we can’t defend marriage, that it becomes very hard to defend life. Marriage is the crucible by which we pour all of our values and pass them on to our children, and that is how the culture is renewed each time. So, if we lose marriage--for instance, if our children are raised in warehouses, so to speak. There have been civilizations that have tried to do that. The Spartans did that. They took the children away and taught them to be warriors. It’s a good way to defend a country, but not much of a way to run a civilization. So, I’m afraid if that happened — if we lose the marriage, we lose the home, we lose the nuclear family then we can’t teach our values. We won’t be able to teach our faith. We won’t be able to teach life. We won’t be able to teach our Constitutional values either. That’s why I’m afraid it’s going to be very, very difficult to defend life.”

"Mr Boehner, do you think that there are any American families out there that are crying when they are told, after they get sick, that the insurance company is going to drop them? You see we passed a law in this country — you were not a part of it — that said that insurance companies can't do that and you want to repeal that. So do you think there's any tears with the middle class, Mr. Boehner? Or is it all about you all the time?"

Boehner doesn't care about the so-called people, he cares about his ass, his job, his election. If he cared, seriously cared, he wouldn't have spent the last 22 months saying No; he would have offered to help, or offered a soltuion, instead of standing in the way and doing nothing.

Robert Downey Jr., who says it was Robert Downey Jr. who changed Robert Downey Jr. and not prison:

"Jail didn't help me any more or less than anything else. But I know I created that experience for a reason, and I'm only just starting to understand those reasons. Remember this is California… 'Come on vacation, leave on probation.' I mean, I can't believe I stayed out of the pen for as long as I did. And I didn't mind it inside really; it wasn't so bad. Listen, a prison is just like a public school. Did you ever go on a film set on location? It's just like prison. Have you ever been in a bad relationship? It's just like having a celly (cellmate) who wants to kill you. Have you ever been in a street fight? It's just like chow-time (meal time). Have you ever been to a rave-up? It's like a yard riot. I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but it neither fazed me, nor changed me, nor informed me - but maybe it toughened me up a little bit."

Now, I loves me some RDJr, but what he's forgettiung is that one can walk away from a film set when they choose, they can walk out of a rave when they choose, they can walk away from a bad relationship when they choose.But they cannot walk away from prison when they choose.